Operation Christmas Eve
by FaithInHim4ever
Summary: Fourth story in my Kassie series. When Kassie comes down with Tonsillitis, it gives a friend of hers the chance to shine in ways she never thought possible. R/R
1. Chapter 1

DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT own any of the chars from TBAA. They belong to Martha Williamson. I do however own anyone you don't recognize, along with the plot for the story. If anyone wants to use Kassie, just send me a PM to ask me first. Thanks!

God loves you  
Enjoy!

A/N: This story is the fourth in a series. The first one is called "Kassie's Prayer" while the second and third ones are called "Father's Day" and " A Child Shall Lead Her." In this story, Kassie is ten.

"Operation Christmas Eve"

Ten year old Kassie Sierra smiled as she watched her friends practice for an upcoming Christmas concert. She had been looking forward to this for three months now.

Unfortunately, not everyone felt the same way.

A few seats away from where Kassie sat, a little girl a year or two younger than Kassie sighed. Her name was Wendy Johnson and she hated auditions. They always made her nervous.

Kassie was especially hoping her new friend, Wendy would get the solo.

Wendy was a good singer, but she didn't have much confidence in herself.

"Wendy?" Kassie heard her teacher, Miss Keller call. "Wendy, it's your turn, sweetheart."

Wendy stood up a little unsteadily. She was nervous. She didn't like singing in front of big crowds, but she knew she had to do this.

As the music started to play, Kassie smiled. She loved this particular song Miss Keller had chosen for the auditions. It was "Angels We Have Heard on High." This song had great significance for Kassie. It was the song her mother's name came from.

As the music started playing, Wendy stepped up to the microphone and started to sing. Her voice was soft and Kassie could tell she was nervous.

"Angels we have heard on high, sweetly singing ore the planes. And the mountains in reply. Echoing their joyous strains. Gloria, Gloria…"

By the time Wendy was done, Miss Keller gave her a smile, but Kassie could tell it had not gone well. If only she had a second chance.

"Kassie? It's your turn." Miss Keller announced. "Are you ready?"

Kassie nodded. She was more than ready.

As the little girl stepped on stage, she caught sight of her mother out of the corner of her eye.

She had appeared, along with Tess. She gave Kassie a thumbs up before turning her attention back to her superior.

Kassie smiled and returned the gesture.

The minute the music started to play, Kassie's sweet and melodic voice filled the room like a spotlight from Heaven.

"…Echoing their joyous strains…" Unlike Wendy, Kassie gave the song her all. She loved the next part and she was going to show it. "…_GLOOOOOORRRRRIIAAA!!! GLOOOOOORRRRRIIAAA!_

Gloria grinned at her daughter's enthusiasm for the song. She knew Kassie enjoyed making a joyful noise unto the Father.

"Kassie really has a gift for song." Gloria commented, smiling at her daughter.

Tess nodded in agreement.

"She certainly does, little angel. But she's not the only one. See that little girl over there?"

Gloria gazed to where Tess was glancing and nodded.

"The one who auditioned before Kass?"

"Yes. Her name is Wendy Johnson. She's nine years old and she needs help. She doesn't think very highly of herself, but she longs to show the world what she can do. The only problem is…"

"Nobody's ever given her a chance." Gloria guessed.

"That's right. But all of that's gonna change." Tess assured the youngest angel.

"How? And when? Am I going to help her?"

Tess shook her head.

"Nope. She is." With that, the eldest angel indicated Kassie, who was talking to Miss Keller.

Gloria gasped.

"Kassie's gonna…but she's only ten!"

"It doesn't matter." Tess said. "Kassie had her first assignment at age eight. Besides, if the Father says she's ready for this, then she's ready. She'll be fine. Especially with you guiding her."

Gloria grinned.

"I'm gonna be training her?" She asked.

"In a way. You're going to be the new music teacher at Kassie's school. You'll only be assigned there until a few days before the concert premieres. That only gives us four weeks to complete this assignment."

It was then that Gloria noticed that someone was missing.

"Where's Monica?" She asked. She knew they hardly did assignments or started them without the Irish angel.

"Monica will be here." Tess assured her 'little angel. "Her part of the assignment comes later."

"Okay." Gloria replied. She then asked Tess a question she often posed to her. "When do we get started?"

Tess grinned.

"Right now."

When Gloria walked into the music room of the elementary school Kassie attended, she was greeted by a very excited Kassie.

"Mom! Mom!" Kassie jumped from her spot and ran to give Gloria a hug.

"Hi, Kass. How are you? Is your throat feeling any better?"

Kassie shrugged. Her throat had been hurting for a day or so now. She had told Gloria about it, but it had felt a little better that morning.

"A little." Kassie answered.

"I'm glad." Gloria replied. She put the music book Tess had given her down and gazed around the room.

Just then, two girls walked into the room. One of them had black hair and green eyes while the other had dark blond hair.

The girl with dark blond hair grinned upon seeing Gloria. She ran for her, throwing her arms around her waist.

"Gloria! I didn't know you were coming! Awesome! This is gonna be the best music class ever!"

"I'm glad to see you too, Celine." Gloria assured her best Human friend. "How are you, huh?"

"Good!" Celine replied. She threw a glare at the girl she had walked in with.

"Couldn't they have picked a better substitute?" The black haired girl asked. She looked Gloria up and down before smiling smugly at her.

"Hey!" Kassie exclaimed in her mother's defense. "Take that back! That's my Mom you're talking about!"

The moment the words left her mouth, Kassie knew it had been the wrong thing to say.

"Oh great." The girl named Sarah retorted. "We'll really have a fair second audition now."

Celine was about to say something in Gloria's defense, but she didn't have time because Kassie did it for her.

"Take that back!" She demanded.

"You can't tell me what to do." Sarah declared.

Sensing an argument coming, Gloria tried to do her best to stop it. She appreciated what Kassie was doing for her, but she needed to get class started.

"Okay, you two, that's enough." She said. "Now, why don't we all have a seat and we can get started." She eyed Kassie and Sarah suggested, "Kass, why don't you sit near Celine and Sarah, you can sit next to Wendy."

Sarah glared before doing what Gloria had said.

After Gloria had introduced herself to the rest of the class, she got them started with some warm ups before letting them practice some songs.

As Gloria counted them off for "Noel" Kassie started coughing hard.

Gloria eyed her little angel in concern. She could tell something was wrong right away. She knew Kassie hadn't lied to her, there was no doubt about it.

"Kass? Why don't you get a drink of water. In fact, why don't you all get one before we sing "Noel." Gloria suggested. She did this so Sarah wouldn't accuse her of playing favorites.

Most of the class took Gloria's offer happily, but a few grumbled and stayed where they were.

When everyone was assembled again, Gloria passed out the sheet music.

When she got to Kassie's desk, she put the back of her hand to Kassie's forehead to check her for a fever.

Frowning, Gloria leaned over to whisper in Kassie's ear.

"Are you sure you're okay? You feel warm to me. Maybe you should go see Grandma Tess."

Gloria knew Tess would be working in the nurse's office as well as the guidance counselor's office for this assignment.

Kassie shook her head.

"It's okay. I'm all right. The water helped."

This was partially true. The only question was, how long would it last?

"All right. If you're sure. But if your throat starts hurting again, you need to tell me."

Kassie nodded.

"I will." She said.

"Okay." With that, Gloria finished handing out the sheet music before starting the kids off. She let a few kids have solos so they could get used to singing alone. She also did this to gage where certain children were in their range ability.

When it was Kassie's turn, she stood up and walked to the front of the room. She had a solo in "Angels We Have Heard on High" which made her happy.

As the chorus came around, Kassie gave it her all. Unfortunately, as she did so, her throat had other plans.

The moment she started to sing "Glorriiaaa," her throat felt like it was on fire and she started to cough.

Hearing her daughter's distress, Gloria stopped the CD for a minute. She beckoned Kassie over to her before asking Celine to take over.

Celine obliged, although she was worried for her friend.

Gloria gave Kassie a concerned look when she approached her. She could tell Kassie was fighting back tears and it broke her heart.

Rather than saying anything at first, Gloria held her arms out to the little girl.

Kassie accepted her mother's hug of comfort before burying her face in her shoulder.

"Mom, it hurts!" She confided in her desperately. "It really hurts!"

"All right, Kass. It's gonna be okay. I'm gonna take care of you. Why don't you go to the nurse and I'll be down in a few minutes."

"Okay." Kassie replied. She left the room and headed for the office.

When Kassie arrived, Tess treated her like she did every student that needed her help. She gave Kassie an extra hug or two, but she tried not to act like she knew her outside of the school.

Once they were alone, Kassie told Tess who had sent her and what was going on.

"Mommy said she would be down soon." Kassie told her grandmother.

"If I know your mother and I do, she'll keep her word. So was Celine surprised to see her there?"

Kassie nodded just as another coughing fit hit her.

"Here you go, baby. Let's see if this helps." With that, Tess handed Kassie a cup of water and let her lay down until Gloria came for her.

When the angels arrived back at the house the Father had provided to them, Gloria put Kassie to bed. She checked her for a fever and found she had a slight one.

"There you go, sweetheart." Gloria said as she helped Kassie to get comfortable. "Just try and rest. Mommy will be up to check on you in a little bit. I love you."

"Love you too." Kassie mumbled, already half asleep.

Once Gloria had kissed Kassie and made sure her door was open a crack, she returned downstairs.

Rounding the corner to the kitchen, Gloria was greeted by Snickers. The kitten wound her way around Gloria's legs, purring up a storm.

"Hi, sweetie." Gloria greeted. She bent down and scratched Snickers behind the ears.

Snickers responded by licking Gloria's hand.

Just then, Monica came into the room. She went straight over to the coffee pot and poured herself a cup.

Gloria eyed her supervisor knowingly.

"Tough assignment?" She asked, teasingly.

Monica whirled around and gave Gloria a playful glare.

"You could say that. I'm gonna be starting my part of our assignment soon."

"What will you be doing?" Gloria asked curiously.

Monica shrugged.

"I don't know yet. The Father hasn't told me. So how's Kassie? I hear she wasn't feelin' well."

Gloria sighed.

"She has a sore throat and a slight fever. If she doesn't feel better by tomorrow, I'm keeping her home and scheduling a doctor's appointment for her."

"Sounds like a good idea." The Irish angel commented. "So what would you like for dinner?"

Gloria shrugged.

"I don't know. I'm gonna check on Kassie in a little while. I doubt if she'll be hungry."

Monica nodded.

"It's understandable. Well just let me know."

The youngest angel nodded. She sighed as she put Snickers down. She hated seeing her daughter in pain. She loved Kassie so much.

Going into the piano room, Gloria decided to play for awhile. She wasn't sure why, but playing music always helped her feel better about things.

Sure enough, halfway through "Into His Hands" Gloria felt a sense of calm come over her. She knew it was God telling her that Kassie would be okay.

When Gloria checked on Kassie an hour or so later, she found her daughter in the bathroom. She was sitting near the toilet, tears of pain streaming down her face.

Rushing to her side, Gloria brushed a few strands of Kassie's long blond hair out of her face just as Kassie's stomach lurched.

"It's okay, Kass. It's okay." Gloria assured her. "Mommy's right here. I'm gonna take care of you. When did this start?"

Kassie tried to catch her breath, but a coughing fit interrupted her attempts. She was coughing so hard, she nearly threw up again.

"All right, honey, it's okay. It's gonna be okay. Come here. Is it okay for me to pick you up?"

Kassie nodded.

The moment Gloria did so, Kassie buried her face in her mother's shoulder and let out a painful sob.

"Mom, it hurts!"

"I know it does, Kass. I know. You're gonna be okay. Let's get you back to bed." With that, Gloria tucked her daughter back in. She got her a bucket and helped her to drink a few sips of Ginger ale.

Once Kassie was fast asleep again, Gloria stayed with her until Monica came and got her for dinner.

Gloria tried to eat, but she was too worried about Kassie. She didn't like seeing her angel in pain. Kassie meant too much to her.

Seeing the worried look on the youngest angel's face, Tess tried to reassure her.

"Kassie will be fine. The Father will take care of her."

"Do you think this is part of the assignment?" Gloria wondered aloud.

"I'm not sure. Maybe. But the one thing you need to remember is the Father would never put Kassie in harms way."

"I know." Gloria said. "But it's still hard to see her hurting."

Tess held her arms out to her distraught little angel. She could tell Gloria needed some comforting.

About two hours later, Gloria was sitting in the living room talking with Monica when Kassie joined them. She didn't look much better. She walked unsteadily over to Gloria as she tried to fight back tears of pain.

"Mom?"

Gloria glanced up at the sound of Kassie's tired voice.

"Kassie? What's wrong, sweetheart? Are you still feeling bad? Aw, come here."

Once Kassie was settled, she buried her face in Gloria's shoulder, confirming her mother's suspicions.

As Gloria rubbed Kassie's back comfortingly, Monica spoke up just then.

"Gloria, she may have strained it." She said, referring to Kassie's voice. "Didn't you say she sang a solo today in school?"

Gloria nodded as she looked up to meet her supervisor's gaze.

"Yeah. Kassie was practicing a solo for the Christmas concert when she was hit with a coughing attack. I sent her to the nurse and then I picked her up early once my last music class was done."

Monica nodded.

"Well maybe some water would help." She got a bottle of it from the fridge and handed it to Gloria.

Gloria thanked her before trying to get Kassie to sip some. The little girl was content at the moment, which meant it was going to be hard to get her to do anything. But Gloria was up for the challenge.

"So was Celine happy to see you?" The Irish angel asked. She smiled, knowing the answer already.

"Oh yeah." Gloria replied. "Although some kids weren't as enthusiastic."

Kassie piped up just then.

"Sarah Hilton gave Mom some problems. But Celine and I helped out."

Gloria grinned and planted a kiss on Kassie's right cheek.

"You sure did." The youngest angel agreed.

Kassie smiled a little while snuggling into Gloria for a cuddle.

"Mom's a good teacher." She commented before coughing a few times.

Monica nodded in agreement.

"Yes she is. Your mother has a bunch of talents. Wonderful talents that the Father blessed her with. So do you." She added, patting Kassie's shoulder.

Kassie sighed.

"I know. But I can't use them if I'm…" Her voice trailed off as another coughing fit stopped her in mid sentence.

Thinking quickly, Gloria brought the bottle of water to Kassie's lips while Monica patted her back gently.

"There you go. Is that better?"

"Uh-huh. A little. " The little girl admitted.

"All right. Why don't you try and stay quiet for now." Gloria advised. "You need to rest your voice if you want to get better."

Kassie obliged, satisfied to listen to her Mom and Aunt Monica talk.

Tess walked into the room just then. She smiled at the sight of Kassie in Gloria's lap.

Seeing Tess out of the corner of her eye, Gloria gave her superior a curious look.

Rather than answer Gloria's unasked question, Tess joined in the conversation.

Before Tess opened her mouth, Monica spoke up. Her question was directed at Kassie, who was almost half asleep in Gloria's lap.

"What song did you sing?" She asked.

Kassie's eyes opened slightly as they traveled to rest on her favorite aunt.

"I was singing "Angels We Have-" She was interrupted once again by a bout of coughing.

Monica threw both Gloria and Kassie apologetic looks as her skin turned crimson.

"I'm sorry."

"It's okay." Gloria assured her. She then turned her attention to Kassie. "Okay, easy. It's okay, sweetheart. There you go. I'll tell Aunt Monica while you rest."

Kassie liked that idea and closed her eyes once again.

"She was singing the song that Madeline used to name me." Gloria told her supervisor.

"That's one of Kassie's favorite songs." Monica recalled.

"It sure is." Tess agreed. She then put her two cents in. She turned to Gloria as she spoke. "You know, little angel, you're very fortunate."

"I know." Gloria assured her superior.

"Will you let me finish my sentence?" Tess asked, eyeing Gloria wearily.

The youngest angel blushed and nodded.

"Sorry." She mumbled.

Far from being upset, Tess merely chuckled before continuing where she had left off.

"As I was saying, you're really blessed. Kassie's ten and she still likes cuddling with you."

Gloria nodded as she gazed lovingly down at her daughter.

"Well Kassie's different than other kids. She knows how to give love, she knows how to receive it. She's calmer and more grounded than most."

"Amen to that." Tess agreed. "Amen to that."

Gloria held Kassie for another half an hour before tucking her back in. She knew what she had to do, even though it broke her heart. She had to make Kassie a doctor's appointment. She knew her little angel wasn't too fond of hospitals, but it had to be done.

As Gloria lay in bed a few minutes later, her mind spun around with a thousand reasons for Kassie's sore throat. The most common one stuck in her mind like peanut butter to the roof of her mouth. What if Kassie had Tonsillitis?

If Kassie had that, she would feel better in a few days to a few weeks at the most. Gloria was sure of it. But even though the possibility seemed less frightening than any of the other's the young angel's mind had come up with, she was still worried for her daughter.

As Gloria lay there, her mind floated back to the time she herself had gotten her tonsils removed.

It had been about a year before she had met and adopted Kassie.

Monica and Tess had really been there for her and Gloria was grateful to her friends for all they had done.

If it hadn't been for God as well as Monica and Tess, the youngest angel didn't know if she would have been able to make it through the experience as well as she did.

Despite this, the memories were as fresh in her mind as though it had happened yesterday…


	2. Chapter 2

DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT own any of the chars from TBAA. They belong to Martha Williamson. I do however own anyone you don't recognize, along with the plot for the story. If anyone wants to use Kassie, just send me a PM to ask me first. Thanks!

God loves you  
Enjoy!

A/N: This story is the fourth in a series. The first one is called "Kassie's Prayer" while the second and third ones are called "Father's Day" and " A Child Shall Lead Her." In this story, Kassie is ten. I hope everyone enjoys this chapter! The next one is coming soon!

"Operation Christmas Eve" Part 2

Chapter 2

The day had been a long one for all five angels. They had just finished an assignment that had ended bitter and sweet at the same time.

The good part was that the mother of their second assignment finally knew the truth and understood the error of her ways. The bitter part was that it had been at her daughter's expense.

Due to the mother's shallow views on self images and her daughter's determination to please her, Andrew had ended up taking Rachel home earlier that day.

It had been a hard ending to the assignment, but with God's message of love delivered, Monica and most of all Tess, were convinced the family would be okay in time.

As night fell, Monica and Tess sat around the living room in the house the Father had provided to them for the assignment. They had grown fond of the place and were going to be sad to leave.

"Do you think they'll be all right?" Monica inquired. She was sitting on the couch across from the fire. She had company as well.

Gloria, who had been unusually quiet, was resting with her head in her supervisor's lap.

Monica figured Gloria was just tired from the events that had taken place. Little did the Irish angel know it was far from the reason.

"They'll be fine." Tess assured her 'angel girl. "The Father will take care of them. We did our job. Now it's up to them to let God do the rest."

Monica nodded. She glanced at the clock and noticed it was almost seven-thirty.

"Are you hungry, Tess?"

Tess shrugged.

"A little. I was thinking of ordering out. We haven't had a treat in a while. What do you want?"

Monica grinned.

"Could we get Chinese? We haven't had it in a while. Besides," she glanced down at Gloria lovingly as she finished her sentence, "it's Gloria's favorite."

"I guess I can manage that." The supervisor angel winked at her former case worker, making Monica giggle softly.

While Tess left to get the menu and call the restaurant, Monica smiled to herself. Tess was something else.

After Tess had called the Chinese place and placed the order, the waiting game began.

"Why don't you wake Gloria up." Tess suggested. "The food will be here soon."

Monica nodded. She gently rubbed Gloria's shoulder while whispering softly into her right ear.

"Gloria, little one, it's time to wake up. Come on, sweetheart." The Irish angel coaxed.

Slowly, Gloria's brown eyes opened. She yawned once before starting to cough.

Thinking quickly, Monica got a bottle of water from the side of the table. She opened it and held it out for her charge to sip.

Gloria did so. She soon regretted it as the cold liquid made contact with her throat.

She tried to push the bottle away as more coughing racked her small form.

Despite Gloria's silent protests, Monica coaxed her to drink a little more.

By the time Gloria was done, tears were streaming down her face. Whether they were from coughing so much or pain, Monica wasn't sure.

Seeing her case worker's distress, Monica did the only thing she could think of. She pulled her in for a hug and tried to calm her down.

"Gloria, what is it? What's wrong? I wanna help you, but you need to tell me what's wrong."

Gloria let out a half sob half cough before answering her supervisor's question.

"It hurts!"

"What does?" Monica asked. She then realized Gloria's voice sounded weaker than it had earlier that day. As realization hit the Irish angel, she pulled Gloria closer and planted a motherly kiss on the top of her head.

As Gloria went to answer, Monica shushed her softly.

"Is it your throat that's hurtin' you, little one?" She asked. She wanted to make sure she was right.

The whimper of pain that issued from Gloria's mouth was enough to confirm Monica's suspicions.

"Okay. You're gonna be okay. I'm gonna take care of you. Does anything else hurt besides your throat?"

Gloria shook her head as she let out another sob.

Just then, two things happened at once. First the doorbell rang, followed by Tess's cell phone.

Tess answered the door and paid for the food.

Once she had put the food on the counter, she turned her attention to her two angel babies.

"What's wrong with our little Gloria?" She asked. She came over to where Gloria and Monica were sitting and put a hand on Gloria's shoulder.

"I think Gloria might be comin' down with somethin'. She told me her throat hurts. Her voice sounds hoarse and she's been coughin' ever since she woke up."

Tess nodded. She put a hand to Gloria's forehead and frowned.

"We better get you to bed, little angel. You're cooking all right."

Monica picked Gloria up and the two elder angels tucked her in.

As Monica went to leave, Gloria reached her hand out.

"Would you like me to stay, little one?"

Gloria went to answer verbally, but Monica shook her head.

"Don't talk." Her supervisor advised. "Just rest your voice for now."

Heaving a sigh, Gloria nodded. She then signed "please" and "thank you" before closing her eyes in an effort to sleep.

"Aw, you're welcome, little one. But no thanks needed. I love you." With that, Monica sat beside Gloria's bed and watched her struggle to sleep. She tried to help her as best she could, but Gloria was in too much pain to sleep at the moment.

When she finally did fall asleep an hour or so later, Monica sent a silent prayer up to the Father, asking Him to help Gloria feel better. The Irish angel knew they were all in God's hands, but she still didn't like seeing Gloria in any type of pain.

Tess came in to check on Gloria somewhere around nine o' clock. She brought Monica a tray of food and insisted she eat something.

"You have to keep your strength up, angel girl." The elder angel advised wisely.

Despite her worry for Gloria, Monica managed to eat half of the meal Tess had prepared for her. She knew Tess was right. She also knew she had to be strong for Gloria. Little did both angels know what kind of night they were all in for.

Later that night, Gloria awoke feeling worse. She was freezing and she felt dizzy. What made matters worse, her throat felt like it was on fire.

As Gloria went to sit up, she had to lie back down or risk getting sick. The dizziness was too much for her stomach to handle.

The youngest angel tried to call for either Monica or Tess, but her throat was hurting too much. She coughed a few times and managed to call if not yell for her supervisor and best friend.

Monica was at her charge's side in minutes.

"Gloria, sweetheart, what's wrong?" Monica asked, concern in her gentle Irish lilt. She then remembered that Gloria had had a hard time falling asleep earlier. She had wanted Monica to stay with her, but even the comforting presence of the Irish angel hadn't been enough to help Gloria drift off.

Gloria took a deep breath before telling Monica what was wrong. Her voice was scratchy from her sore throat, but she managed to tell her supervisor what she needed to know.

"Monica, it hurts really bad! I don't feel so..." Gloria's voice trailed off as she started to cough.

"All right, it's okay, darlin'. You're gonna be okay. Let me get Tess. Then we'll get you sorted. I'll be right back."

"No, please!" Gloria cried. She started to cough while reaching her hand out for Monica.

"Okay, all right. I won't leave you for now. It's all right. Come here." With that, Monica took the scared angel into her arms. She stroked Gloria's hair and made calming circles on her back. She tried to soothe her and instructed her to stay as quiet as possible.

Gloria tried, but it was hard. All she wanted was for her throat to feel better.

Just then, the nausea seemed to double.

Gloria tried to tell Monica what was wrong, but as she opened her mouth to form the words, she was hit with another coughing fit. This only made the nausea worse.

"Here." Monica said. She held the bottle of water out to her charge.

Gloria took a sip or two, but quickly regretted it in more ways than one. Her throat felt like a searing fire was ripping through it. As for her stomach, it had started to churn like a butter churner that was out of control.

As she pushed the bottle away, she turned the other way and vomited everywhere.

"Oh Gloria!" Monica said, putting a reassuring hand on her shoulder.

"I'm sorry!" Gloria cried, thinking she was in trouble. "I tried to tell you, but my-" Her voice trailed off as another coughing fit interrupted her attempts to apologize.

"Shh, Gloria, it's all right. You're not in trouble, little one. I promise. I'm not mad at you. But I have to get Tess. I'll be right back." With that, Monica left the room, leaving a scared and very shaken Gloria behind.

The Irish angel found Tess in next to no time at all. The superior angel was reading in bed.

"Tess, we have a problem." Monica informed her the moment she opened the door.

"What is it, angel girl?" Tess asked, looking up from her book.

Monica sighed.

"It's Gloria." Monica began. "She told me she didn't' feel good and she vomited everywhere. Her throat's still hurtin' her pretty badly too. I think it's gotten worse since earlier. She's really not doin' too good."

Tess sighed. She got up and followed Monica out of the room.

When they reached Gloria's room, Gloria sat up the second she saw Monica. She held her arms out to her and Monica took her scared 'little one into her lap.

"Little angel, what's wrong?" Tess asked, concern in her voice.

"Tess, I…..I really feel sick." Gloria told her superior. She buried her face in Monica's shoulder as she swallowed again.

Tess caught it and put a gentle hand on Gloria's shoulder. "Gloria, do you still feel sick to your stomach?"

Gloria whimpered, giving Tess the answer she needed.

"Angel girl, why don't you take Gloria to the bathroom while I clean this mess up."

"Tess, I'm sorry." Gloria said, thinking she was in trouble.

"Gloria, honey, you have nothing to be sorry about." Tess told her honestly. "Even angels get sick every once in awhile."

Gloria let out a small whimper of pain. She was in no state to listen to Tess. Her superior's words of love and truth hadn't even registered in her brain like they would have normally done.

Just then, the youngest angel swallowed again and Monica managed to get her little one to the bathroom just in time.

Gloria spent the next twenty minutes in there and she didn't feel much better when she got out.

Tess poked her head in the bathroom just as Gloria heaved for the fourth time in ten minutes.

"Angel girl, once Gloria's stomach calms down, why don't you tuck her back in. I got her a bucket and put it on the night stand. After she's settled, I'll take her temperature and we'll see what's going on."

Monica nodded as she continued to try and keep Gloria calm. It broke her heart to see her case worker in this much pain and she wanted to do everything she could to help her feel better.

After letting Gloria rest for awhile, Tess decided it was best to get her checked out by a doctor.

Gloria wasn't too happy with the idea, but Monica assured the scared angel she would stay with her.

This calmed Gloria down and they were able to get her to the hospital without any trouble.

Upon arriving, Gloria was seen rather quickly for it being three o' clock in the morning.

Monica recognized the doctor in question, but Gloria didn't due to how sick she felt. She clung to Monica and the Irish angel did her best to keep her calm.

It only took fifteen minutes for Dr. Susan Larkin to figure out what was wrong with Gloria.

"It seems Gloria needs her tonsils removed." Susan told the three angels. "It's a routine procedure. Miss Gloria will be good as new in a few days." With that, she went to inform Anna and Arielle about what was going on.

Before Gloria knew it, she found herself in pre op being prepped for surgery.

As promised, Monica stayed with her. Gloria was still afraid, but she was trying to be as brave as she could be.

Just then, a very familiar voice met Gloria's ears.

"Hello baby."

Gloria smiled a little upon seeing who it was.

"Tess." She said softly, her throat still hurting up a storm.

Tess smiled gently and patted Gloria's shoulder.

"You're gonna be all right, little angel. I promise."

"What's wrong with me?" Gloria inquired, starting to cough once again. She hadn't really been listening when Susan had told them the diagnosis.

Tess and Monica helped her to sit up and Monica started patting her back gently.

"It's all right, honey. That's it, you're okay. Good girl. Thatta girl…" Tess encouraged as Gloria coughed twice more before finally finding relief.

After Gloria was settled again, Tess answered her question.

"You just have a small case of tonsillitis."

Gloria nodded, she knew what that was.

"So I'm gonna be okay?"

Tess smiled.

"Absolutely. You'll be fine in a few days. Angels can lack the same organs Humans do and survive. They can do without as well." With that, Tess produced the IV kit and prepared to start an IV.

Monica eyed the needle and a curious look crossed her face.

"Tess, what are you doing?"

"My job, angel girl. As far as this hospital knows, I'm the fill in pre op nurse. The other one, Betty something or another, just won a trip to Hawaii." She winked and Monica smiled knowingly.

Monica let Gloria squeeze her hand as the needle went in.

"Now, you're gonna feel a little sting, little angel. It's gonna be okay. Just squeeze Monica's hand and you'll be fine." Tess assured Gloria.

Gloria nodded and tried not to focus on the needle that bit into her skin two minutes later.

Monica planted a motherly kiss on Gloria's forehead and started to stroke her hair.

"It hurts!" Gloria whimpered as another surge of pain ripped through her throat.

"We know it does, Gloria. We know. Shh, shh, don't' talk." Monica instructed.

Tess nodded her agreement.

"Monica's right. Don't talk, little angel. The only exception is if you're going to throw up. Let us know, but other than that, hush up." She gave Gloria a smile that told her she wasn't mad.

Gloria nodded, although she was really starting to hurt.

She let out a sob and Tess took her angel baby into her arms.

"Shh, shh, it's okay, little angel. It's gonna be okay...The Lord moves in mysterious ways. His wonders to reform. He plants his footsteps on the seas and He rides on every storm. But He's his own interpreter and He's gonna make it plain..." Tess's voice trailed off as she planted a kiss on Gloria's cheek.

She gently laid her down and tucked the covers around her.

A few minutes after Tess had done so, Gloria swallowed hard. She put a hand to her mouth in an effort to stall the inevitable.

Monica saw her charge's plight first. She grabbed the bucket on the side of the table and held it while helping Gloria to sit up.

Tess saw what was happening and did her part to help. She took the object from Monica and held it in front of Gloria.

Gloria had swallowed again, trying her best to avoid what she knew was to come.

"Tess, I think she's gonna get sick..." Monica's voice trailed off as Tess gave her a look.

Tess rolled her eyes, despite the situation.

Monica blushed, realizing how silly her statement sounded.

"Gloria's gonna be all right." Tess assured her. "She can, but then she really needs to try and get some sleep."

As Gloria went to swallow again, the nausea got to be too much and she heaved instead.

"It's all right, little angel. You're all right." Tess soothed. She could see the tears of pain and fear ready to fall from Gloria's innocent brown eyes and it broke her heart.

Once Gloria's stomach had calmed down, the flood gates opened wide. She reached for Tess and the elder angel gave the youngest what she needed.

After Gloria was calm again, Monica and Tess helped her to lay back down.

Once Gloria was half asleep, Monica gave her a kiss and walked with her down to the OR.

After Gloria had been taken in, Monica and Tess waited for her to get out.

"Gloria will be okay, right Tess?" Monica asked looking to her supervisor for reassurance.

Tess nodded as she hugged Monica close.

"Yes. Of course she will. She'll be okay. Our little Gloria's gonna be just fine. The Father will take care of her."

Together, both angels prayed that God would watch

Over Gloria.

Gloria awoke a few hours later. Her throat still hurt, but not as badly as before. She glanced to her right to see Monica sitting by her bed.

"Hi." Monica said, smiling upon seeing Gloria was awake. "How are you feeling, little one?"

Gloria shrugged.

"My throat still hurts." She admitted. Her voice was hoarse from the intubation as well as the tonsillitis combined with the surgery itself.

"It will for awhile." Tess said, coming into the room. "But you're gonna be fine, little angel."

Gloria nodded and gazed at Monica. The Irish angel smiled and took her little one into her arms. She knew Gloria wanted to have some cuddle time and she was more than willing to oblige.

If there was one thing the Irish angel was sure of, it was that God would continue to see them through anything and everything that came their way.

And like Tess always said, "If He brings us to it, He'll bring us through it."

And Monica had no doubt Tess was right in this case as well. All they had to do was have faith and let the Father handle the rest…

As Gloria's mind floated back to the present, she felt a sense of reassurance as her superior's words of wisdom rang in her mind. She knew Tess was right. Even if Kassie had to get her tonsils out, Gloria knew God would see them through it, just like He had seen her through her own experience. With that final comforting thought, the second youngest angel drifted off to sleep for the rest of the night…


	3. Chapter 3

DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT own any of the chars from TBAA. They belong to Martha Williamson. I do however own anyone you don't recognize, along with the plot for the story. If anyone wants to use Kassie, just send me a PM to ask me first. Thanks!

God loves you  
Enjoy!

A/N: This story is the fourth in a series. The first one is called "Kassie's Prayer" while the second and third ones are called "Father's Day" and " A Child Shall Lead Her." In this story, Kassie is ten. I hope everyone enjoys this chapter! The next one is on its way.

"Operation Christmas Eve" Part 2

Chapter 3

As Gloria's mind floated back to the present, she felt a sense of reassurance as her superior's words of wisdom rang in her mind. She knew Tess was right. Even if Kassie had to get her tonsils out, Gloria knew God would see them through it, just like He had seen her through her own experience. With that final comforting thought, the second youngest angel drifted off to sleep for the rest of the night.

The next morning, Gloria woke Kassie up around ten o' clock. She had scheduled the doctor's appointment for twelve that afternoon.

As Kassie's blue eyes opened, Gloria could tell she didn't feel much better. She still looked flushed and when she spoke, her voice sounded weaker than it had the night before.

"Mommy?" Kassie asked.

"Kass, it's all right. You're okay. It's me. We need to get ready, honey. You have a doctor's appointment at noon. Come on, sweetheart." With that, Gloria held her arms out to her sick daughter.

Kassie dove for them, burying her face in Gloria's shoulder out of pain.

"Mom, it still hurts!" The little girl whimpered.

"Okay, Kass. It's gonna be okay. I'm gonna take care of you."

"Can't you help me?" Kassie inquired.

Gloria was confused for a minute. She was about to ask Kassie what she was talking about, but was saved the question by her supervisor.

"Kassie means like you helped Sarah." The Irish angel filled in.

Gloria shook her head. She wanted to do that very thing, but she knew she couldn't. All she could do was be there for her.

"I'm sorry, sweetie. I can't. But I'll be right there with you. I won't leave you. I promise."

Kassie was satisfied with this answer. She snuggled into Gloria for a cuddle, desperately needing her mother's comfort.

A few hours later, Gloria found herself in an exam room in Hope for the Children Medical Center.

Dr. Arielle Larson had examined Kassie with Anna's help. What they found confirmed Gloria's suspicions from the day before.

"It appears Kassie has Tonsillitis." Arielle explained. "She'll be good as new in a few days. She'll have to stay overnight, but you're welcome to stay with her."

"How can you fix it?" Kassie asked right before starting to cough.

"Well the one thing that will help is staying as quiet as possible." Anna advised as she entered the room.

"But what will make you feel better most of all is to take your tonsils out."

Kassie nodded. She frowned as her grip on Gloria's hand tightened.

"It's okay, Kass. It's okay. I'm right here. I'm not leaving you."

Kassie sighed with relief upon hearing this.

"We can get her prepped in fifteen minutes." DR. Larson continued. "The surgery itself will last an hour to two at the most. After it's over Kassie should be fine. I'll come and get you once she's done."

Gloria nodded.

Arielle left to get things ready just then, leaving mother and daughter alone.

"Mom, I wanna go home!" Kassie cried softly. She then started to cough.

Gloria's heart broke right there.

"I know, Kass. I know. And you'll be able to once this is over. I promise. Everything's going to be all right."

Dr. Larson returned ten minutes later and prepared to take Kassie up to pre op. She gave Gloria the option of carrying her.

"Do you want Mommy to carry you, sweetheart?" Gloria asked.

"Please?" Kassie begged.

"How can I deny a request like that? Aw, up you come." With that, Gloria took Kassie into her arms before following Arielle to the elevator.

Once there, Gloria laid Kassie down on the bed. She stayed by her daughter's side and let Kassie squeeze her hand. She knew her daughter was scared and Gloria wanted to do everything she could to ease her fears.

No sooner had Dr. Marcela left to check on another patient, a very familiar voice met Kassie's ears.

"Hello baby."

Kassie smiled slightly when she recognized who it was.

"Grandma Tess." She said softly.

Tess smiled and winked at her granddaughter.

"Uh-huh. You're going to be fine." She assured her.

Gloria posed a question to her superior just then.

"Tess, what are you doing here? Are you prepping Kassie like you did me when I had mine out?"

Tess nodded.

"That's right."

Kassie looked up at her mother.

"You had your Tonsils out too?" She asked and soon regretted it.

"I sure did."

"Were you scared too?" The little girl wanted to know.

"Hmmm-hmmm. But Monica and Tess were there and they helped me through it. Just like Grandma Tess and I are helping you now. But mostly, God helped me. And He'll help you too."

Kassie nodded. She knew this full well already.

"It's all right, sweetheart." Tess comforted. "Your Mommy's right there. She's not gonna leave you."

"Grandma Tess is right." Gloria confirmed. "I said I wasn't going anywhere and I meant it."

"But what about when…" Kassie's voice trailed off as she pointed to the hallway that led to the OR doors.

Gloria shook her head.

"Not even then." Gloria promised. "You won't be able to see me because you'll be asleep, but I'll be there. Just like I was the last time."

Kassie nodded. She knew what her mother was talking about.

Silence fell over the group for a few minutes.

After awhile, Gloria started singing to Kassie, hoping it would help her calm down.

It worked and in a matter of ten minutes, the little girl's breathing had slowed down.

It wasn't long before they were joined by Monica. She wanted to see how Kassie was doing.

"Am I too late?" A familiar Irish lilt asked.

Tess shook her head.

"You're just in time, angel girl." The eldest angel answered. "I'm just getting our littlest angel ready."

Monica nodded. She patted Kassie's shoulder lovingly as Gloria started singing to her again.

As Tess stuck the needle in, Kassie whimpered a little, but Gloria and Monica managed to keep her calm.

Once the IV was started, Tess put the ver sed in. After that was done, the waiting game began.

"It's all right." Monica assured her niece. "You're goin' to be okay. You need to stay quiet for now."

Kassie nodded and tried to obey her aunt. It was hard, but she tried her best.

Before they knew it, Kassie was starting to fall asleep. She squeezed Gloria's hand, but the elder angels could tell she was close to dreamland.

"I love you, sweetheart." Gloria told her.

"I love you too, Mom." Kassie mumbled sleepily.

"We'll be here when you wake up." Monica assured her. She patted Kassie's shoulder as Tess gave her a kiss on her cheek and told her she loved her as well.

Gloria stroked her hair as she walked down to the OR doors with her.

Once there, Gloria gave Kassie one more kiss before reverting to her angel form. She slipped inside the room and remained that way until Kassie's surgery was done.

Kassie awoke sometime later feeling tired and a little sick to her stomach. Her throat was still hurting, but not as badly as it had before.

As her blue eyes opened, she saw Gloria sitting by her bed. She gave her mother a tiny smile before squeezing her hand as an indicator that she was awake.

"Hey Kass. How are you feeling, huh?"

Kassie shrugged while signing "okay." She pointed to her throat before making the sign for "hurt" as a few tears coursed down her cheeks.

Gloria frowned sympathetically. She knew what Kassie was going through.

"I know, sweetheart. It'll hurt for a few days. But you're gonna be okay. The operation went fine. You did a fantastic job. I'm so proud of you. And I know Monica and Tess are as well."

Just then, Andrew appeared. He wanted to see how Kassie was doing. He had heard what was going on from Monica.

Sensing another presence in the room, Kassie glanced up. When she saw who it was, she shook her head and threw Gloria a fearful look. She reached for her mother, almost pulling her IV out.

Gloria caught on just in time and hastened to assure her daughter.

"Kassie? Kass, it's all right. It's okay, sweetheart. Andrew isn't here to take you anywhere. He just came to check on you. That's all. I promise. You're fine." With that, Gloria took her now sobbing daughter into her arms. She was careful of the IV lines, but she also wanted to get Kassie calmed down. The little girl was shaking and Gloria was worried now.

"I'm sorry." Andrew apologized. "I didn't mean to scare her."

"It's okay." Gloria replied. "But I think you should leave for now. She's shaking pretty badly."

Andrew frowned, but did as Gloria suggested.

Once Andrew was gone, Gloria turned her attention back to Kassie.

"It's okay, sweetie. It's all right. Andrew's gone. He's gone now. You're okay now. I have you. Mommy's right here. I have you, Kass. That's my girl. That's my girl…" Gloria continued to comfort Kassie until her daughter's breathing went back to normal.

A few minutes later, Kassie swallowed hard. Gloria knew what was going to happen. She helped Kassie face the basin just in time.

Once her stomach had calmed down, Kassie tried her best to sleep. She was still feeling tired and she was in a little pain.

"That's it." Gloria encouraged. "Try and get some rest. When you wake up, Aunt Monica and Grandma Tess will be here to see you."

Kassie mumbled something before drifting off in the safest place she knew-her mother's arms.

Once Gloria was sure that Kassie was asleep, she went to tell Monica and Tess that it was okay to come back and see Kassie.

The youngest angel found her two angelic co workers and friends playing a game of Go Fish.

Monica was the first to spot Gloria.

"Is Kassie all right?" She asked.

Gloria nodded.

"Yup. She's out and she's doing fine. She's still in some pain and she got sick from the medicine, but she's gonna be fine. You can come back and see her now. I told her you two would be there when she woke up."

Monica nodded and the two elder angels followed Gloria back to recovery.

Once there, Gloria took up her post beside Kassie's bed.

While the three angels waited for the little girl to wake up, they started a quiet conversation of their own.

In the middle of it, Tess noticed Kassie's eyes were starting to flutter open.

"I think someone's waking up." She announced to the other two.

Sure enough, a few minutes later, Kassie's eyes opened again. She gazed around and sighed with relief when she saw her family sitting around her bed.

Gloria smiled at her.

"See? I told you Aunt Monica and Grandma Tess would be here when you woke up."

Kassie smiled before nodding her head. Her gaze traveled to the door and then back to Gloria.

The young angel shook her head.

"Don't worry. He's not here."

"Who?" The Irish angel inquired.

Gloria sighed before starting to explain.

"Andrew. He came to check on Kassie and scared her something awful. He was still in his angel form when he showed up. Kassie thought he was there for her. She started crying and shaking. I had to ask him to leave so I could get her calmed down. But she's all right now, aren't you?"

"Uh-huh." Kassie replied. Her voice was still hoarse, but Gloria caught her answer all the same.

"Shh, try not to talk." Gloria advised. "We'll take you home tomorrow."

"It still hurts." Kassie confessed.

"I know. But it's not as bad as it was before, is it?"

Kassie shook her head.

"I told you you'd be all right, baby." Tess said.

"We're trying to get her to stay quiet for now." Gloria informed her superior.

Tess smiled.

"That's a good idea." She agreed. "Although considering how hard it was for us to keep you quiet when you had your Tonsils out…" Her voice trailed off as Gloria glared at her playfully.

Monica smiled as did Kassie. They liked it when Gloria and Tess bantered.

"I think I have something that might help." With that, Tess produced a bottle of water. She handed it to Gloria. "See if you can get her to drink this."

Gloria held the bottle out to Kassie and waited to see how her daughter would react.

Kassie frowned, but took a few sips nonetheless.

"There you go. Good girl. Did it help?"

"A little." The young girl admitted. "It hurt when it went down."

Gloria nodded.

"You're gonna be okay." With that, Gloria resumed singing. She knew it would help Kassie get some more rest. Her singing always helped the little girl, just like Tess's singing always helped her.

"I love you, sweetheart." Gloria told her daughter. She planted a kiss on Kassie's cheek and ruffled her blond hair.

Monica spoke up just then.

"I heard Andrew gave Kassie a wee fright."

"Kind of." Gloria admitted. She then explained what had taken place before her friends had joined her. "Kassie was just waking up, so she wasn't really with it. And when Andrew showed up, he was still in his "work clothes." And when Kassie saw him, she freaked out."

Monica frowned. She turned her attention to Kassie.

"Sweetheart, you're not going anywhere for a very long time." Monica assured her. She then amended her statement. "Well, you're an angel so you can't die."

Kassie nodded. She sighed with relief upon hearing this. Before she knew it, she was asleep once again.


End file.
